By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Joseph W. Rogerson is at risk of losing his deferred prosecution on last summer’s DUI, related to a head-on crash in Onalaska that left three teenagers dead.
Rogerson, now 37, was found to have been traveling in his own lane and not to blame for the July 13 wreck on state Route 508.
The Land Rover was carrying eight young people. Killed were its driver, Arnold W. Mullinax, 17, and Taylor N. Thompson, 13, both from Onalaska. Dakota L. Dunivin, 18, from Chehalis, died the following day at the hospital.
Rogerson, formerly of Chehalis, is being monitored because of his case in Lewis County District Court, but today he went before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court, charged with third-degree assault of a child.
Judge Richard Brosey noted the new case includes an allegation he was drinking and asked if prosecutors have filed a motion to revoke his deferred DUI.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said he had not, at this time.
Deferred prosecution is an arrangement in which a defendant can ask the court to defer a finding of guilt in return for agreeing to abide by certain conditions for a certain amount of time, according to Meyer.
Brosey today ordered Rogerson to wear an alcohol monitor bracelet which will detect if he drinks.
Rogerson was arrested on Friday by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office following an investigation involving a 7-year-old girl who told a counselor at R.E. Bennett Elementary School her step-father hit her in the arm, leaving a bruise.
The sheriff’s office said yesterday the girl, her mother and step-father had gone shooting out in the woods near Pe Ell the weekend before and when the girl tried to get Rogerson to stop hitting her mom, he punched the child. Charging documents in the case indicate the girl told him to stop and hit him in the arm, then he hit the girl in her arm.
Both adults denied it happened, but the girl’s older brother corroborated her statement. Both children told law enforcement they thought the grown ups had been drinking, according to court documents.
Rogerson was released yesterday on $10,000 unsecured bond, and was back in court today after the felony charged was filed.
Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke asked that the conditions of release be altered to allow Rogerson to go back to his home in Pe Ell, saying he was his grandfather’s sole care provider and the child is now with her actual father, based on a court order.
Rogerson’s arraignment is scheduled for June 16.
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For background, read “No felony charges forthcoming from triple-fatality Onalaska wreck” from Friday October 30, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I’ll turn your question around: How does a person who stays in their lane cause someone else’s accident?
I agree that his DUI case should come out of mothballs and be prosecuted because he violated conditions of deferment, but I’m not going to project responsibility for a fatal accident on somebody determined by the State Patrol to have NOT crossed the Highway 12 centerline. I’ll take the WSP’s findings over a private investigation paid for by an insurance company with skins in the game.
Rogerson should indeed be held accountable, but only for what he’s actually done.
If Roberson wasn’t responsible for the onalaska crash,who was?
@ BO Rupert- if you think you can do a better job then Myers, then run for election, and win,and do his job…oh WAIT,, YOU CAN’T.. YOU’RE A FELON
He needs to be held accountable. No ifs ands or buts….He needs to lose the deferral….and be prosecuted for assault, drinking, driving.and anything else he has done.
Article in Chronicle today throws more light on the vehicle accident in July. Independent expert report differs with WSP report. Families of the victims deserve to have further impartial investigation. Help these families learn the truth by calling for further inquiry.
If Joe Rogerson had never left his lane, as has been determined, exactly how is he responsible for the crash that killed three teens? Telepathy? Not to excuse his drinking-and-driving (and he WAS cited for DUI), but it does not appear to have had any effect on the kids in the Land Rover.
I know why the little girls were with the older boys. The boys were all friends and the two 13 old girls were friends. One of the girls was the sister of the teenage driver. They had NOT been drinking but Rogerson had. How in the world could you not hold him at fault is beyond me. If the courts let him loose again there is absolutely NO justice in Lewis county. I would never vote for Meyer for even dog catcher. Rogerson has gotten away with murder. Even small children know if you drink you DO NOT drive. Look up Rogersons record. He has been a problem since he was a teenager. Does he even think about how many lives he affected that night. He changed the world as I know it forever!
Its true,… take responsibility your community mittens. Dont let your pre-teen run around with older boys and get a dedicated deputy if not a town cop to follow the drunks home like anyone in any other town does. Stop the teens gathering at mill pond after hours,… enact a curfew! Get involved! How can u say Im attacking grieving parents? ITS COMMON SENSE! This community as whole is out of control!
Kids are probably lying.
Why hide your judgmental comments behind a false header “jesus take the wheel ” take responsibility for your comments. You judge an entire community and question the decisions of parents of whom you have no clue as to the type of people they are . Hopfully tragedy never falls on your loved ones and you be judged as harshly as you have judged these fine family’s in their time of loss .
Statistically for every time a person is arrested for a DUI they have been driving while drinking at least 5 times without getting caught. Now there are cases of the person making a bad decision once but most times people who drive drunk do it many more times than they get caught at it.
He may not have been at fault for the three kids killed in Mossyrock but he was still driving drunk. Now he seems to have ignored a court ordered sanction against drinking…………..oh yeah while being involved in domestic violence. Time to remove the deferment and start holding him accountable.
Where were the parents? Maybe asking a few questions about how they were getting home and with who would have prevented the lack of seatbelt use and available seating. Where were the cops? Thats right Onalaska has none. Patrols are virtually non existent. The attitude of this unincorporated community as one that self-governs it self through gossip and tattletales is all to blame. Your all to blame Onalaska. Shame on you. You let drug dealers flourish in your backyards for decades and prevent your town from being incorporated because of some backward honky attitude. Then the community is up in arms when all your youth are winning darwin awards, getting pregnant, unemployed, scoring low in school and becoming alcoholics. Place the blame on your self. Not the bar down the st. or the drunk down the road. It starts with you. Not a witch hunt. Pull your head out of your a$$.
Jonathan Meyers has a very good brain in his head. He does not pre judge people before trail. Although some people on here like to and or try to send people to jail for not doing anything. Jonathan Meyers will do right in what he believes and does in a case. Although some people do not believe because charges are not brought against some innocent people. I agree with Charles Mitten, whyhere, Toni.
Here in Lewis County we like to think we set a precident when it comes to teaching our children about fire arms saftey. If out one day while they are shootin’ up some food? Of up from the ground you want some a bubbalin’ crude, you know that you have better been consuming alcohol or else the firearms will not function.
Yes, poor decisional making goes hand in hand with using fire arms here in Lewis County. If thid guy was using a gun around these children you KNOW that he was carless enough to had been drinking at the time.
Lock the stupid idiot up, he sure seems to have many problems.
Johnathan Meyer is a very worthless public servant.
He should have the deferment revoked. He needs serious help and it starts with being held accountable for all your decisions and actions.
Well said I knew last year that this man would be in the news again and again .. More should have been done at the last DUI. I hope that these kids are safe.
Jonathan Meyer i hope you revoke his deferment there is already an acusation of him drinking again by these children who were there . Hopfully these children will not be ignored by our justice system and put in harms way by a lack of holding joseph Rogerson responsible for his actions a second time .Judge Brosey please if this man comes before you for judgement do all in your power to see that justice is served.